Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:14:59 -0800WeeblyTue, 03 Jan 2017 20:57:45 GMThttp://www.jessicayager.com/2017-drawing-project/day-3Today, environment began to emerge, as the frog eggs broke the surface of the water and took hold of some form of stick or grass for structural support. This approach to drawing--the not-planning, not pre-thinking everything, is unfamiliar to me, but I am enjoying it. It feels like exploring--like finding frog eggs...

]]>Mon, 02 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.jessicayager.com/2017-drawing-project/january-02nd-2017Day 2.The egg cluster is growing... while working today I listened to a TED talk on vulnerability and shame by Brené Brown. The work became a meditation on these ideas and how I have often used them to limit myself. She discusses shame as "fear of disconnection" often due to fear of not being ____ enough to be worthy of connection. I struggle with sharing my work before it's done, or before I have fully constructed my defense of my idea because of fears that it won't be good enough, moving enough, revolutionary enough, pretty enough, inspired enough, perfect enough... this is despite the fact that nearly every interaction I have had with others about my art brings positive connections, conversations that further the work, trigger new inspiration for myself or the other person, or are otherwise affirming and encouraging. In her talk Brené Brown reminded me that vulnerability is not weakness, rather sharing from a place of vulnerability is an act of courage. As I drew today, extending this cluster of frog eggs without a clear idea or intention yet for where this 2017 drawing is going, I let them become a symbol for vulnerability and potential.

]]>Sun, 01 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.jessicayager.com/2017-drawing-project/2017-drawing-project-beginsAs a way to push myself to do more art, and to share/engage about this work with more people this year, I have decided to do a daily drawing project.The idea is to create one drawing, by adding to it daily for 365 days. The finished drawing will be 35-5/16” x 57-1/8” (2017 square inches… for my 2017 daily drawing project because I’m openly that much of a nerd…). I will be posting pictures of progress at least once a week. There will be days when I cannot draw directly onto the original paper due to travel—these days I will still work on the drawing in ways that will either be collaged in or transferred onto the primary paper by some other means. The important part to me being that I make marks daily towards the completion of this drawing. I am not going to commit to any particular image or theme, as part of what I hope is for this exercise to push me to let go of my need for control and to follow inspiration wherever it takes me. In that spirit, when the image/memory that came to me on the eve of beginning was of holding frog eggs when I was a kid, I went with it… I did a quick search of the meaning of frogs/frog eggs and found that frogs are “a reminder of common bonds with all life, singer of songs that celebrate the most ancient watery beginnings, transformation, cleansing, understanding emotions, rebirth, healing, water energy… Similarly, frog’s medicine can wash away any negative physical and mental energies which deny us a balanced and peaceful life... They also help to nourish our own innate ability to heal ourselves on all levels” (at least according to http://www.shamanicjourney.com/frog-power-animal-symbol-of-…). That all sounded like a pretty good place to start, so I started today by taking on the challenge of drawing frog eggs… translucent, gooey, seemingly hovering in space… Here’s to new projects, new adventures, and more conversations about art in 2017. Happy New Year!